Peter bogdanovich directed this sensitive and moving story about a teenage boy, rocky eric stoltz, who lives with severe facial deformities and poor prognosis for survival beyond childhood. Mask synopsis teenage rocky dennis has a wild mother and a face misshaped by a rare disease. Aug 18, 2015 roy lee rocky dennis from mask eric stoltzs character in the 1985 american drama film mask was based on the life and death of roy l. Rocky dennis is a 16 year old high school freshman who loves life, his best friend and his baseball cards and has a horribly disfiguring cranial disease that has distorted his head out of shape and makes him bizarre to look at. Rockys poem in the movie mask with cher funny quotes. Peter bogdanovich directed the resultant film, entitled mask, in which. One of my coworkers and their sister knew the real rocky dennis a very good movie and very sad. The character rocky dennis pictured above with his mother in the movie mask, cher, frightened me to no end as a child. Roy lee rocky dennis 19611978 find a grave memorial. Feb 12, 2007 anna hamilton phelan wrote a screenplay based loosely on rocky s life. Despite being born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, a disease resulting in disfigurement of the bones of the face and head, rocky is a. Rocky is a teenager boy who suffers from a disease that results in the severe disfiguration of his face.
The film, directed by peter bogdanovich, starred teen actor eric stoltz. Based on a reallife group of characters, mask, directed by peter bogdanovich, tells the story of rocky dennis, a remarkable boy who emerges victorious over an unusual set of circumstances in. When people tell rocky dennis to take off his mask, they dont realise its his own face. But within about, 10 minutes, we know that she is the ideal mom for rocky. Rusty dennis cher is the mother of rocky eric stoltz a seriously deformed but extremely intelligent and emotionally warm teenager. Peter bogdanovich directed the resultant film, entitled mask, in which eric stoltz portrays rocky. Rocky dennis aka eric stoltz and florence rusty dennis aka cher lived in the 1985 peter bogdanovichdirected movie mask. The movie mask 1985 was made about him, with eric stoltz playing the role of the teenaged rocky, and cher playing the role of his mother, rusty. Mask quotes 14 total quotes main cast multiple characters rocky dennis rusty dennis. Roy lee rocky dennis was an american boy who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare sclerotic bone disorder.
It wasnt until an xray technician noticed a slight cranial anomaly when he was 18monthsold that doctors began questioning what was wrong with the adorable little boy. This is the true story of rocky dennis eric stoltz, a personable young man suffering from lionitis, a fatal disease which causes hideous facial disfigurement. Back in september, after finding out out that my parents had recently moved to monrovia, kerry asked me to track down the house where roy l. Director peter bogdanovich brings the inspirational, true story of rocky dennis eric stoltz to life in mask. He played the role of rocky dennis in the biographical drama film mask, which earned him the nomination for a golden globe award for best supporting actor in a motion picture, and has appeared in a wide variety of films from mainstream fare like some kind of wonderful to independent films like pulp fiction. Rocky dennis was a couragous young man who lived his life to the fullest although he had a severe facial deformity,making him look as if he were wearing a mask. While his mother, rusty cher, struggles to fight for his acceptance in the public school system, he proves himself to be a highly accomplished student. He was her son, a disfigured boy who spent 16 years under a death sentence. Despite being born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, a disease resulting in disfigurement of the bones of the face and head, rocky is a typical teen. Jun 02, 2017 these things are good ice cream n cake a ride on a harley seeing monkeys in the trees the rain on my tongue and the sun shining on my face. These things are good ice cream n cake a ride on a harley seeing monkeys in the trees the rain on my tongue and the sun shining on my face. He even has some success attracting the interest of teenaged girls, among whom as we well know, are always a minority sensitive and sensible enough to see boys for what they are rather than what they look like. Some of you know rocky dennis from the movie mask with cher and sam elliot.
The true story of rocky dennis anna hamiltonphelan. Cher received the 1985 cannes film festival award for best actress. Mask is really a heartbreaking story when you watch it. Cher, eric stoltz, sam elliott, estelle getty, richard dysart, laura dern, micole mercurio, harry carey jr. Cher and sam elliot really shine in their characters. In the skull, it is sometimes known as craniodiaphyseal dysplasia also. Mask 1985 rocky dennis eric stoltz is an intelligent, outgoing and humorous teenager who suffers from a facial deformity called lionitis and has now outlived his life expectancy.
Glendora, ca a former teacher remembers rocky dennis, a horribly. The spectacular story of rocky dennis perseverance and the special bond he shared with his mother caught the eye of anna hamilton phelan, a young screenwriter who saw dennis while visiting uclas center for genetic research. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Roy lee rocky dennis 1961 1978 he inspired the movie. Read, a graduate of the yale school of drama, as teen rocky dennis. Oct 5, 20 rocky s poem in the movie mask with cher stay safe and healthy. May 03, 2010 based on the life of rocky dennis, mask tells the uplifting story of a young man who suffered from a disfiguring congenital condition. The result of that encounter was the biopic mask which premiered seven years after rocky dennis death. Rusty dennis cher is the mother of rocky eric stoltz, a seriously deformed, but extremely intelligent and emotionally warm teenager.
She rides with a motorcycle gang, abuses drugs, shacks up with gang members, and has no visible means of employment. Nov 20, 2006 even she acknowledged that seeing the story of her and her son rocky dennis on the big screen was a fairy tale, as she told people magazine after the movie featuring eric stoltz as a teenage rocky hit theaters in 1985. Rocky is the son of biker rusty and he is accepted without question by his moms boyfriends and her cycle buddies, but treated with pity and disgust by much of the outside world. His body was donated to ucla medical center after he died. Underneath, rocky is sharpwitted, bighearted and tough. The local high school principal doesnt want to enroll. You always stick up to her, gar, and then she pisses you off, and you split. The book had more scenes than the movie and the directors cut dvd actualy put in two extra scenes that were in the book. Rocky dennis eric stoltz is an intelligent, outgoing, and humorous teenager who suffers from a facial deformity called lionitis and has now outlived his life expectancy. When people tell rocky dennis to take off his mask, they dont realise its his. Nearly 20 years after the films release, swedish pop musician jens lekman published rocky dennis in heaven, an ep containing four songs about rocky and his portrayal in the film. Celeste ng, ann patchett, min jin lee and others on the books that bring them comfort. Mar 12, 2008 the reallife story of a disfigured boy, his tough mom and the biker community that embraces them, is told with songs starting march 12, when mask the new musical inspired by the 1985 film. Rocky dennis, a southern california teenager who died of the disease at age 16 brought the condition to the attention of the public.
Details format dvd color color rating pg genre drama runtime 120 year 1985 cast and crew director peter bogdanovich star 1 eric stoltz star 2 laura dern cast. Anna hamilton phelan wrote a screenplay based loosely on rockys life. Based on the reallife story of rocky dennis coffee. The mask, a 1994 comedy film based on the comic book series of the same name. She was a strongwilled, flamboyant divorcee with a taste for drugs and bikers. Teaching the boy behind the mask a former teacher remembers rocky dennis, a horribly disfigured boy whose life was portrayed in the 1985 film, mask. The film movingly demonstrates the falsehood inherent in the world of appearances and the true nature of prejudice. In one scene in the film, stoltz dennis reads a poem to his mother, rusty played by cher, that was written by dennis. Roy lee rocky dennis december 4, 1961 october 4, 1978 was an american boy who had craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare sclerotic bone disorder. Mask, peter bogdanovichs tale of a disfigured boy and his unconventional mother, gets a new soundtrack with this dvd release. The kids name is rocky dennis, and his mother is named rusty. Rocky dennis was born in glendora, california, and was initially thought to be a perfectly healthy baby. Rocky dennis portrayed by eric stoltz in mask 1985, a film by peter bogdanovich.
Wonder trailer gives a nice message an awfully cloying face. In 1985, elliott starred opposite cher and eric stoltz in mask, a drama based on the true story of rocky dennis, a boy who suffered from craniodiaphyseal. Rusty is a nononsense mother whose wild lifestyle is often at odds with her tenderness and protectiveness towards rocky. His life was the basis for the 1985 feature film drama mask. Rocky dennis was born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, which distorted his face, making it grow to twice its normal size. Rocky was the second child of rusty tullis, a gogo dancer who had a passion for motorcycle bikers like herself. Roy lee rocky dennis december 4, 1961 october 4, 1978 was an american boy afflicted with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, an extremely rare, disfiguring, sclerotic bone disorder. The film is based on the life and early death of roy l. They told 16yearold rocky dennis he could never be like. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during childhood or teenage years.
View quote to a student staring at her sons face whats the matter. His life was the basis for the 1985 drama film mask. The story of rocky and rusty is absorbing from the very first, maybe because the movie doesnt waste a lot of time wringing its hands over rockys fate, mask lands on its feet, running. Based on chers movie of the same name,this book was great. Peter bogdanovich directed the 1985 film mask, adapted from anna hamilton phelans screenplay based on dennis life with eric stoltz portraying dennis. Unfortunately, mask was one of my mothers favorite movies, so i got more than my fill of this film as small boygirl. Based on a true story, the boy, rocky dennis, is a positive role model who almost always manages to maintain a sense of humor and a positive attitude in spite of ridicule from strangers and frequent. Michael westmore brought rocky dennis to life for the screen. The son of freewheeling biker rusty dennis cher, rocky is accepted without question by his moms boyfriends and cycle buddies, but treated with pity, condescension, and disgust by. Featuring songs by bruce springsteen that were not in the original theatrical presentation, the film is presented in widescreen anamorphic that. So mask consciously goes against the prevailing minigenre of freak movies. His personal trials and tribulations are showcased, along with the personal problems faced by his mother cher. Mask, directed by peter bogdanovich, is based on the true story of rocky dennis, a california youngster who at age 2 12 began showing signs of.
The complicated facial makeupprosthetics worn by read suggest what roy l. After all, hes lived with his severe disfigurement for sixteen years. If the boy did not take his mask off when the bell rang, she knew what she. He appeared healthy, but an xray technician noticed irregularities in the boys skull when he was about 2. The mask, a lowbudget canadian horror film produced in 3d and released in 1961 by warner bros. The condition usually results in neurological disorders and death during childhood.
Based on six other known cases of the disease, they predicted the boy wouldnt live past seven. Mask 1985 movie scene poem of rocky dennis youtube. Animated series, based on the comic book and 1994 film. Maintained by find a grave donated to medical science, who reports a body donated to ucla medical research. The true story of rocky dennis, a personable young man who has craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, a fatal disease which causes hideous facial disfigurement.
Essentially the son of mask to peter bogdanovichs 1985 mask, wonder gives a younger and certainly more cloying take on the boywithafacialdeformity genre. Even she acknowledged that seeing her and her son rocky dennis story on the big screen was a fairy. Rocky was born with craniodiaphysial dysplasia, which is a massive calcium buildup in the skull that usually causes death in childhood when. Acclaimed filmmaker peter bogdanovich directed this heartwarming and inspirational film based on the reallife story of rocky dennis eric stoltz, a terribly. Mask is a 1985 american biographical drama film directed by peter bogdanovich, starring cher, sam elliott, and eric stoltz with supporting roles played by dennis burkley, laura dern, estelle getty, and richard dysart. The movie is based loosely on dennis life, with most of the scenes and dialogue altered for dramatic purposes. The successful universal movie mask, which tells the story of a.
Rocky from the 1985 film mask, played by eric stotlz. Mask director peter bogdanovich brings the inspirational, true story of rocky dennis eric stoltz to life in mask. Mask is a 1985 film about the true story of rocky dennis, a teenager with a massive facial skull deformity and a wild mother who attempts to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances. This extraordinary film is based on the reallife story of rocky dennis, a disfigured teenager whose face resembles a bizarre mask. The mask, a 1994 comedy film based on the comic book series of the same name son of the mask, the 2005 sequel of the mask. If you know of any good ones, please do not hesitate to post them. Eric stoltz born september 30, 1961 is an american actor, director and film producer. Cher plays rocky s mother, who with uncompromising love and fierce determination helps rocky overcome pain, loneliness and prejudice to emerge as an outstanding young man, an inspiration to his classmates and teachers. Parents need to know that mask is a deeply moving and inspirational film about a teenage boy whose face is disfigured by a genetic defect. The truth about rocky dennis neurofibromatosis inspire. Worldwide shipping available as standard or express delivery learn more. Screen characters you never knew were based on real. Secure payments 100% secure payment with 256bit ssl encryption learn more.